Carrier for chimed cans



Sept. 26, 1950 1'. w. FOSTER CARRIER FOR HIIED CANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jqly 22. 1949 ffiv'enfor Y'Aor'nas ZM Fosier Sept. 26, 195.0 1'. w. FOSTER,

CARRIER FOR CHIIIED CANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1949 fnuenfir' Thomas M fas'fer "Patented fs pg 2 19 oaaama Foa cnnunn cans Thomas W. Foster, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 22, 1949. Serial No. 196,260 r 3 Claims. (01. 224-45) The present invention relates to carriers or holders for chimed cans and more particularly relates to collapsible carriers or holders adapted to be constructed of foldable paperboard or other foldable sheet material.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a carrier or holder of the type referred to which can be manufactured from foldable paperboard and which will have a rugged and sturdy construction and at the same time will be produced from a minimum amount of material.

produce the finished carriers in fiat, collapsed form ready for delivery to a user and capable of being conditioned for use by him without requiring tools or special skill, whereby the carriers may be quickly set up and filled with cans or similar articles ready for delivery to a retail store customer.

In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier embodying the present invention illustrating the members for retaining cans in place therein;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the carrier with a can contained therein and illustrating the manner of re taining cans within the carrier;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating a preferred form of blank from which the carrier is manufactured;

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the blank of the carrier in partially assembled condition as it appears after passing through the first step in the gluing operation; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the carrier as it appears in collapsed condition ready for shipment to the user.

, The carrier of the present invention is preferably formed to provide a convenient carryout for a retail store customer to take home six cans of beverage, and the carrier is particularly designed for cans that have recessed or chime-type tops and bottoms. The carrier preferably is made with a carrying portion and partition portion disposed centrally between two side wall panels, the partition portion being connected with a foldable bottom portion and there being top portions which extend between the partition and carryin; members and the side walls and are in hinged relation thereto whereby the carrier is adapted to be collapsed and retained in collapsed condition until it is ready to be filled with cans by sliding the cans into the open ends of the carrier. The longitudinal dimension of the top and bottom portions is less than the length of a row of cans inserted within the carrier whereby the end cans in each row will project partially outside of the carrier. The top and bottom portions are provided with inwardly bendable tabs past which the cans are adapted to slide and such tabs, due to the resilience of the paperboard of which the carrier is made, will tend to move away from their attached portions as soon as the advancing portion of the chime edge of the can is moved out of contact with the tab. The free ends of the tabs will then move a small distance inwardly toward the can ends and engage the inner surface portion of the chimes thereby serving as retaining elements tending to prevent outward movement of the upper and lower portions of the can.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l of the drawings, the carrier as herein disclosed comprises a bottom portion, indicated generally at I, side walls II and 12, a top portion indicated generally at I3, and a central panel and handle portion indicated generally at It. The bottom portion l0 comprises two panels l5 and it hingedly related to each other and to the central panel along a fold line indicated generally at H. The top portion l3 comprises two parts i8 and I9 hingedly connected along fold lines 20 and 2i respectively to the central panel portion.

The top portions l8 and 19 are in the present instance formed integrally with the side walls along hinge lines 22 and 23 and are formed integrally with carrying panels 24 and 25 connected thereto along the fold lines 20 and 2|. These carrying panels are prefera 1y integrally conpanel I5 is preferably formed with an attaching flap 29, defined from panel 15 by a fold line 30. The flap 29 is suitably secured to the lower por-, tion of the panel 21 preferably by adhesive. The' outer edges of the bottom panels l5 and I 5 are preferably integrally joined to the respective sides H and I! along fold lines 3| and 32.

In order to strengthen the handle section and at the same time connect the central panel and handle portion to the top portion l3, the upper part of the panel 21 is extended to lie between the carrying sections 24 and 25 and is suitably secured thereto in any desired manner as by means of adhesive or staples.

Finger openings are provided in the carrying section by forming openings 34 and 35 in the part 24, openings 36 and 3! in the part 25, and openings 38 and 39 in the upper end of panel 21. The respective openings 34, 36 and 38 and the openings 35, 31 and 39 are arranged so as to be in substantial registration when the carrier is completely assembled.

The stock within the openings 34, 35, 3G and 31 is preferably left attached to the upper edges of the openings whereby tab elements are provided that can be swung laterally of the carrying section to provide for greater comfort to the fingers of the person holding the carrier.

As thus far described, a carrierv or holder is provided which has two open end compartments disposed side by side, each of which will hold a row of cans or other articles, one row being disposed between the central panel and side wall H and the other row between the central panel and side Wall I 2. The articles are introduced into the compartments of the carrier through the open ends. While the carrier can be used for four. six, eight or more cans, the carrier as herein illustrated is designed for six cans in two rows of three cans each and, for convenience, will be so described.

According to the present invention means are provided on the top and bottom sections for engag ng the innerchime portions on the tops and bottoms of the outer cans of each row. Depending on the diameter of the can the top and bottom panels are substantially two can diameters in length. Stated another way, the panels will have a length equal to one less than the number of cans in a row times the can diameter.

The means for engaging a portion of the can chimes comprises tabs 4!, 4| and 42, 42 at the ends of bottom panels l5 and I6 respectively, and tabs 43, 43 and 44, 44 at the ends of the top panes l8 and I9 respectively. The tabs are each foldable inward relative to the panel to which it is attached along the fold lines indicated so that each tab may be swung to assume a position flat against its attached bottom and top panel. .Each of the tabs is preferably made semicircular and on a radius substantially equal to the radius of the circle described by the inside surfaces of the chimes of the cans for which the carrier is intended.

In the use of the carrier, a collapsed carrier such as shown in Fig. 5 will be grasped by the carrying portion with one hand while the users other hand is employed to expand the side wall portions away from the central panel. The handle portion will then be forced down which will cause the bottom panels as well as the top panels to be brought into alignment after which the top and bottom tabs at each end of the carrier will be turned inwardly. The carrier is now ready to receive cans.. 1

A convenient packing procedure is to insert two cans at the end of each of the compartments and insert the third can in each compartment rom the other end. Withthe top and bottom tabs folded inwardly the tabs will .not lie flat due to the resiliency of the paperboard.

When the middle can is in place and the outer can at each end is moved past the top and bottom tabs each tab will spring toward the recessed 4 bottom of the can and will engage edgewise against the inner'suriace of the chime and lock the can ends against outward displacement.

When it is desired to remove a can from the carrier this can conveniently be done by inserting a bladed instrument between the can top and the top tab to release the tab from the top chime. The can can then be removed by tilting it outwardly until the upper portion is clear of the top flap whereupon the can may be lifted free of the lower chime engaging tab.

By forming the carrier from a single blank in which all the panels are in line a very economical carrier is provided. This form of blank also is economical to assemble as assembly can be effected on standard carton folding and gluing machines.

In the gluing operation the blanks as illustrated in Fig. 3 are fed into a suitably adjusted folding and gluing machine. As the blank advances adhesive will be applied either to the opposite surfaces of the end of the central panel 21 or to the under surfaces of the carrying sections. 24 and 25. Adhesive is preferably applied to these latter surfaces, as indicated at 53, 53 in Fig. 3. Adhesive is also applied to attaching flap 29, as indicated at 54, preferably at the same time it is applied to the carrying sections 24 and 25. After application of the adhesive the blank will be moved past the 'folding station which will cause the panels l6 and 21 to fold upwardly and over along the fold line 32 so that these panels will lie fiat against panels l2, l8 and. Preferably at the same time panel 15 with its attaching flap 29 will be folded along fold line 3|.- The blank will then have. the appearance as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The next step in the gluing operationis to fold the partially assembled blank along fold line 28 so that the parts 25, I9 and I2, with the parts l5 and 29 lying thereagainst will be folded over so that the lower edge of the panel 21 will come into contact with the freshly glued attaching flap 29 whereupon the carrier will be brought to its collapsed condition ready for shipment to a user as illustrated in Fig. 5.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, certain changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not descriptive. reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible paperboard carrier for chimetype cans of predetermined height and diameter, such carrier comprisin two hingedly related bottom panels, two hingedly related top panels, side walls hingedly connected at top and bottom edges respectively with the outer edges of the top and bottom panels, two upwardly extending carrying panels hingedly connected respectively to the inner edge of each top panel, and a partition panel hingedly connected to the inner edges 01' the bottom panels and extending upwardly through the central part of the holder with its upp r end between the carrying panels, whereby the carrier is divided into two open end compartments into which a row of cans is adapted to be received in snug fitting relation, each 01 the top, and bottom panels havin on each end thereof, and at each side of the partition panel,

an inwardly foldable tab adapted to engage the top and bottom chimes respectively of chime-type cans inserted partially into the compartments.

2.- A collapsible paperboard carrier comprising a pair of tubular sleeve members having top, side, and bottom walls and a common central partition member, each of said sleeve members being adapted to receive a row of cans having at least one chime-type closure, a handle hingedly related to said top walls and said partition member, and means for retaining said cans at least partially within the sleeve members, said retaining means including a plurality of inwardly foldable tabs adapted to engage edgewise against the inner surfaces of the chimes of at leastsome of said cans. 3. A collapsible paperboard carrier comprising a tubular member defined by top, side, and bottom walls and adapted to receive a row of cans having at least one chime-type closure, a. handle hingedly related to the top wall, and means for retaining 6 said cans at least partially within the tubular member, said retaining means comprising a plurality of inwardly foldable tabs adapted to engage edgewise against the inner surfaces of the chimes of at least some of said cans.

THOMAS W. FOSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA TENTS 

